Apparatus for cleaning open ended hollow tubular elements



Aug. 4, 1953 P. M. cAsADY ETAL 2,647,526

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING OPEN ENDED HoLLow TUBULAR ELEMENTS 53 Barfu M (25mm/Q Praveen .-Z 95,90? IN V EN TORS.

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Allg 4, 1953 P. M. cAsADY ETAL v2,647,526

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING OPEN ENDED HOLLOW TUBULAR ELEMENTS Filed July 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented \Aug. 4, 1953 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CLEANING OPEN ENDED HOLLOW TUBULAR ELEMENTS Philip M. Casady and Richard R. Casady, Los Angeles, Calif.

7 Claims.

` This invention relates to an improved apparatus for cleaning open-ended, hollow, tubular elements such as hypodermic needles. In particular, this invention is concerned with an apparatus for cleaning and drying one needle at a time in an especially eicient and effective manner.

Prior devices for cleaning hypodermic needles usually require repeated positioning and removal of a needle to be cleaned with respect to several discharge ports for injecting different cleaning fluids into and through the needle. A multitude of distinct bimanual operations were required; It was often difficult in such prior devices to quickly provide ilow-tight relationship between an end of the needle and a discharge port. Unless the needle was in proper position, cleaning by prior devices was incomplete, ineliective and timeconsuming.

Furthermore, prior means for providing proper positioning of the needle, with respect to a discharge outlet from which a cleaning fluid was ejected, usually included a tip or nozzle portion partially inserted into the head of the needle in contact with interior walls of the needle. Such an arrangement was inefficient and ineliective because the interior surface of the needle head was not completely cleaned and dried, and all traces of a solution which had been used in the needle were not removed. Such prior devices rendered unsatisfactory cleaning oi hypodermic needles a slow, tiresome, and boresoine task.

lhere is a definite need for an efficient and effective single hypcdermic needle cleaner for use in doctors offices, small dispensaries or first aid stations, where a relatively few needles are used but wherein considerable time is expended in cleaning the needles because of the prior inefficient inethods and devices employed. Such a needle cleaner must be operable without requiring auxiliary equipment, such as a compressed air supply and pressure regulators.

The primary objectv of this invention, therefore, is to design and provide an improved apparatus for cleaning open-ended, hollow, tubular elements which may be efficiently manually operable and very eiective to clean a single needle in a minimum of time.

Another object of this invention is to design and provide an improved apparatus for cleaning open-ended, hollow, tubular elements wherein the apparatus is portable and is not dependent upon auxiliary equipment such as a compressed air source.

Another object of this invention is to design 2 andvprovide a one-position hypodermic needle cleaner wherein a plurality of cleaning liquids may be forcibly and successively injected into a needle for passage therethrough without changing the position of the needle.

A further object of this invention is to design and provide a readily manually operable hypodermic needle cleaner which is easy to manufacture, inexpensive to operate, and is capable of thoroughly cleaning interior surfaces of a needle.

Still another object of this invention is to design and provide an improved apparatus for cleaning open-ended tubular elements wherein a single discharge port is provided for a plurality of cleaning fluids so that the element need be positioned only once for passage therethrough of each cleaning fluid under pressure and a second discharge port is provided for passage therethrough of air under pressure for thoroughly drying interior surfaces oi the needle.

This invention contemplates an apparatus as mentioned above wherein discharge port means includes a hollow, yieldable gasket member and a hollow retaining nut, both arranged to not only center a needle positioned against the gasket member but also to aid in holding the needle in fluid-tight relation to the gasket without introducing a portion of the gasket member into the end of the needle in contact with internal walls thereof.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved discharge port means which is adapted for cleaning virtually any type of openended, hollow, tubular eiement of the general character of hypodermic needles.

Generally speaking, this invention comprises a plurality of open-top receptacles positioned on a base for supplying diiierent cleaning liquids, a plurality of pump means including manually operated pumps operatively positioned above the receptacles for pumping liquid therefrom and a pump for manually compressing air, a plurality oi conduits connecting said pump means with an outlet housing located at one side of a horizontal rack member supporting the pump means, said outlet housing being provided with a duct in fluid communication through the conduits with each of the liquid pump means, said duct having a discharge port; and a second discharge port positioned adjacent the liquid discharge port for passage of air therethrough compressed by the air pump means.

Other objects and advantages or this invention will be readily apparent from the ioll'owing description of the drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan View taken from the plane indicated by the line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line IV-IV of Fig. 1 and showing the structure of a liquid pump means employed in this invention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line V-V of Fig. 1

showing in detail an air pump means.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary top view, partly in section, of an outlet housing employed in this invention.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken in the plane indicated by line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional View taken in the plane indicated by the line IX-IX of Fig. '1.

Fig. 1|) is a perspective view of one type of hypodermic needle capable of' being cleaned by the apparatus of this invention.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a-needle and bufling means for cleaning the interior of the head of a hypodermic needle.

Referring to Fig. 1 the apparatus embodying this invention, generally indicated at |5, comprises a at, rectangular base I6 suitably supported from a surface by spaced pads l1. The top surface of base i6 is provided with an suitable, elongated depression I8 adjacent one side serving to position a plurality of non-sealed containers or receptacles I9, and 2| illustrated in the form of open top bottles. The depression i8 .is preferably extended laterally toward the opposite side for positioning a drip pan 22.

Above the receptacles I9, 20 and 2| is supported an elongated rectangular rack member 23 from corner posts '24 of angle section. Each post 24 is provided with a bottom, transverse, rectangular end wall 25 arranged to be secured to the base I6 in any suitable manner as by a screw or a positioning lug 26. At each end of rack member 23 adjacent posts 24 may be connected by a transverse member 21 to which the rack may be conveniently secured by means of threaded stud bolts 29 extending through the rack and in threaded engagement with the member 21.

The rack 23 may include a at top wall 29, depending end Walls 39, and side walls 3l. The bottom edges of end walls 39 seat on the transverse members 21.

The rack 23 supports a plurality of manually actuatable fluid pump means in spaced relation along approximately the longitudinal axis of the rack. The fluid pump means include liquid pumps 32 each operably positioned over a respective receptacle i9, 29 and 2| and an air pump 33 supported adjacent one end of the rack.

Each liquid pump 32 (Fig. 4) comprises a cylinder 34 having a ported top end wall 35 through which a spring-biased piston 36 is manually, reciprocally operated. The bottom end of cylinder 34 is threadedly connected to a bottom cylinder head 31 provided with an upwardly directed, reduced extension 33 extending through an aperture 39 provided therefor in top wall 29 of the rack 23. The top annular edge 49 of extension 38 provides a seat for the lower end of a coil spring 4|, the upper end of which is adapted to seat as at 42 against an annular ange 43 tted on piston 36 intermediate ends of the piston. The lower end of piston 36 is reciprocally movable within a cylinder sleeve 44, the upper edge of sleeve 44 serving to limit downward movement of piston 36 by abutment with fiange 43 and the lower end portion of sleeve 44 being fitted within an axial recess 45 in cylinder head 31. At its bottom end the piston 36 may be provided with a circumferential groove 46 carrying a seal ring 41 slidably engageable with the interior surface of sleeve 44.

The bottom cylinder head 31 is provided with an axial enlarged bore 48 affording connection to a depending suction pipe or tube 49 extending into a respective receptacle and terminating a short distance above the bottom of the receptacle. Above the enlarged bore 48, head 31 is provided with a reduced bore axially aligned with bore 49. Encircling bore 50 is a tapered downwardly directed conical seat 5| for a balltype check valve 52. Above seat 5| the bore 45 of the cylinder is provided with inclined converging walls 53 terminating in a circular recess to facilitate seating of the ball check valve.

The converging walls 53 may be interrupted by a horizontal port 54 communicating with a slightly enlarged bore 55 adapted to receive therewithin one end of a conduit 56 for conducting iiow of uid discharged from the pump to outlet housing 11.

The air pump 33 (Fig. 5) may also comprise a cylinder 59 having a ported top wall 5| and a bottom portion threaded to a bottom cylinder head 62 which extends upwardly through an aperture 53 provided in top Wall 29 of rack 23. Within cylinder 60 is a manually, reciprocally operable piston 64 having a piston head including axially spaced annular flanges or rings 65 and a seal ring 66 secured therebetween for slidable sealing contact with the interior walls of the cylinder Sil. Coil spring 61 extending between the top annular edge of cylinder head 62 and the bottom annular surface of the lowermost ring 65 spring biases piston 64 upwardly The piston head includes an enlarged lower portion 68 which is adapted to seat in closed position as at 69 on the top end face of head 62.

Cylinder head 62 is provided with an inlet passageway 1D having an enlarged upper and inner portion 1| defining an inclined shoulder providing a seat for a ball check valve 12. The cylinder head 62 is provided with an air outlet passageway 13 terminating in a radially disposed enlarged recess 14 adapted to receive an end of an air conduit 15.

As best seen in Fig. 3 conduits 56 and conduit 15 lie closely beneath the top wall 29 and are each connected at their outer ends to a coupling sleeve 15 for connection to an outlet housing generally indicated at 11 disposed above drip pan 22.

The outlet housing 11 is illustrated as of generally trapeZoidal plan and of thick section, the long side of said housing being secured to a side wall 3| opposite receptacles I9 and 20 by any suitable means such as stud bolts 18. Wall 3| is provided with an aperture 19 adjacent outlet housing 11 affording passage therethrough of horizontal, tapered, tubular protuberances or nipples 89 adapted to be connected to sleeves 16. Each nipple is provided with an axial passageway 8|, the passageways 8| in fluid communication through conduits 56, with receptacles I9, 20 and 2| being extended inwardly into housing 11 for intersection with a transverse common duct 82 lying in a plane slightly above the plane of the 5. passage-ways 8i. Duet 82 may extend to one edge. of housing 11 to permit cleaning. the outer end ofA duct 82 having threaded connection with a` removable clean-out plug 83'.

Check valve means are. provided at the intersection of each passageway 8l with duct 8l.V for regulating; passage or selectedv liquids through outlet. housing 11.1. Each; checkv valve means includes. a. vertically disposed recess dit: provided with a bottom lying below the axis; of passageway 8l.. hr tubular element 85,. positioned within recess 84, is provided with a: headed portion closely tting the walls of recess 8k just above passageway 8l and` has' a. shank 8801 reduced diameter to permit fiow of fluid therearound from. pasageway 8l. The lowermost end of shank 86 is spaced from the bottom` or recess 84, and element 85 is provided with an axial passageway 8lr closed at its upper erd4 by a ball check valve 8-8v seated on a radially inwardly tapered top face of element 85.

` Above check valve 88 recessSll is formed with anenlarged upper internally threaded portion for threaded connection with a screw plug t9. The plug 89 is provided on its lowermost face with an upwardly directed conical recess et adapted to receive ball check valve 88 when ui'd is pumped through the associated passageway and duct 82. A suitable sealing ring 9|. may be provided for plug 89.

The common duct 82 provides huid communication. for liquids flowing from receptacles IQ, 2B and 2| through the check valve means to a horizontal passageway S2 formed generally in prolongation of passageway 8I associated withv i receptacle ISL, as seen in Fig. 6. Passageway 92 terminates in a vertical passageway S3 connected to dischargek port mean-s generally indicated at` 94. Thus liquid pumped from each of the receptacles i9, Ztl and ZI isL conducted to a single discharge port means for injection into a needle to be cleaned.

The discharge port means ellincludes a re-` silient, yieldable, elongated, thimbleelike gasket 95 positioned within an internally threaded, circular, depending, hollow bossl 98 formed on. housing 11 by an externally threaded hollow retainer nut 91. The gasket 95 is provided with an axial passageway or port s6 aligned with passageway. 93 and is provided with an annular radially outwardly extending lia-nge 59 compressed between the topannular edge of nut or retainer 9.1v and the bottom wall of the hollow boss 98.

Gasket a and retainer nut 9'! are cooperable to center and sealably position the butt end of a needle to be cleaned in duid-tight position against gasket 9.5. The bottom face of gasket 95v is provided with slightly downwardly radially inwardly directed converging surfaces IIlEIy terminating in a transverse annular face encirclingr the bottom` opening of passageway 98. The nut 91 is provided with a bore and an outwardly ,narod lowered end face Ill! adapted to guide and center an end. of a needle inserted therein 1in-to communication with passageway S of gasket 95. It should be noted that the opening to passageway 5 is disposed in a pla-ne slightly above the termination of tapered walls lill so that the butt end of a needle guided into nut ill may be slightly received within the bore of hollow nut 91 so as to positively position the needle end on the downwardly slightly pointed end portion of gasket 95. It should also be' noted that converging surfaces Hill contact the inner edge of the hollow needle end to provide fluidtight relation, extend onlyl slightly Within the needle end. and do not contact any of the interior surfaces of the needle to be cleaned.

Conduit is similarly connectedv to outlet housing 'I1 by a. coupling sleeve 1E fitted over a respective nipple on the outlet housing. The passageway -I connected with air pump 33 through conduit l extends horizontally to a vertical passageway 82 connected to a discharge port means M33 of the same character as discharge port means a4 and. comprising a gasket ed and retainer nut 9.1. n

Beneath the air pump 33 may he provided a housing Illii for a suitable high torque, slow speed, electric motor Ille adapted to slowly rotate a motor shaft extension I1. The extension l'l may' he provided with a pair of oppositely dirested notches Ht for conveniently securing cotton bers ted to the turning shaft extension and spun thereon to provide a suitable cotton pad or swab of selected diameter for insertion into a head ist of a hypodermic needle for cleaning r the interior surface thereof to remove and loosen matter which may have accumulated therein.

Receptacles I3, 28-and 2l may be filled with any suitable cleaning fluids such as, for example, a detergent and distilled water in receptacles I9 and 2t respectively and a cleaning solvent or detergent of any suitable type (such as alcohol) contained in receptacle 2U. Before subjecting the needle to be cleaned to the cleaning fluids and drying air, the inner surface of head |05 may be swabbed by pushing such head on the rotating cotton swab carried on the shaft extem sion to` loosen and' remove any foreign matter collected therein during use. A needle to be cleaned may be then manually positioned with the headed end centered and in fluid-tight contact with gasket in the discharge port means M and held with one hand. Actuation of pumpl 32 above receptaclev I9v by the other hand of the operator will raise liquid into the pump cylinder, the pump cylinder check valve closing for discharge of said liquid through conduit 56 pastthe respective check valve 88, through the discharge port means 94 and into the needle to becleaned. The check valves 88, associated with receptacles 2l! and 2f, remain in closed position. Normally, only one stroke of pump 32 will force stuiicient liquid from receptacle I9 through the needle for an initial cleaning step. A similar pumping operation is performed with each of pumps 32 positioned above respective receptacles 20 and 2 I. The pumps 32 are preferably designed to eject about 5 cc. of liquid for each full stroke of the piston. Normally this quantity is more than sufeient to ilus-h the hypoclermic needle. In each instance the hand positioning the needle is not moved. whereas the other' hand is used to operate the three liquid pumps by a simple vertical up-and-down pumping motion. After the interior surfaces of the needle have been flushed and washed by each cleaning liquid the needle head may be removed from discharge port means 9d and positioned in discharge port means I03 for quickly the interior surfaces of the needle by actuation of air pump 33. It should. be noted that discharge port. means I 03 is closely adj-'acont to discharge port means e# and the repositioning of the needle being cleaned is simply and effectively accomplished.

It understood that this invention contemplates that air and liquid conduit means may be conveniently and suitably connected to only' one of the discharge port means so as to provide flow 7 of pumped air to the needle through a single discharge port means. Thus, only one positioning-of a needle to be cleaned is required for simple, effective and rapid cleaning thereof.

The check valve arrangement in the outlet housing is such that a minimum length of passageway is provided between each check valve 88 and the discharge port means 94. Only minute quantities of fluid from prior pumping operations will remain in these passageways and be carried by fluid from the successively actuated pump means to and through the needle being cleaned. It may also be noted that the pumps 32 and 33 are designed to considerably increase the pump force applied to the fluid so that the fluid is forcibly passed through the apparatus and through a needle being cleaned without subjecting receptacles I9 and 2l to pressure. Thus, positive cleaning is provided because all interior surfaces of a needle are subjected to forcible washing and flushing by the pumped cleaning fluid and all interior surfaces of the needle are reached by the cleaning fluid because of the design of the gasket 95.

The simplification of the bi-manual operations required to operate this improved hypodermic needle cleaner is obvious. One hand holds a needle while the other hand pumps each different cleaning fluid through the needle without repositioning of the needle.

It should be particularly noted that while the illustration above describes a sealing gasket and a hypodermic needle in fluid-tight contact therewith, the gasket and retainer nut are arranged to accommodate a needle or tubular element havf ing a hose type end or male type end in fluid tight relation and in such a manner that all interior surfaces of the tubular element are flushed and washed. In the' male type end, an extension is provided of a tubular element above a collar, the extension being readily received within the passageway 96 of the gasket and the collar of the needle is held against the end face of the gasket in sealing engagement therewith. The passageway 96 is of sufficient diameter to receive needles having male type ends such as those now in use in hospitals, and of course may be made of any selected diameter. This passageway 96 is also of suicient depth so that such an extension will not extend into contact with the metal outlet housing, a condition which might damage the end of the extension when the collar is held in fluid-tight contact with the gasket.

It is understood, of course, that various modifications and changes may be made in the pump means and design of the outlet housing and of the base and rack supporting the pump means. All such modifications and changes coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for cleaning hypodermic needles, the ,combination of: a base; a plurality of open receptacles carried by the base for containing a supply of different cleaning liquids; a rack member supported from the base above the receptacles; a plurality of liquid pump means carried on the rack member, each liquid pump means being supported over a receptacle for pumping liquid therefrom and including a suction pipe extending into an associated receptacle and a check valve element in each pump means for said suction pipe; an outlet housing projecting outwardly from one side of the rack member; a plurality of conduits extending between said pump means and said outlet housing; a plurality of passageways in the housing, each in communication with a, conduit; a duct in the housing in communication with the passageways connected for carrying liquid from the liquid pump means; check valve means at the intersection of each passageway with the duct; and discharge port means carried by the outlet housing 'for said duct, said discharge port means having means arranged to guide and position an end of a needle into sealed relationship therewith.

i 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said discharge port means includes a hollow resilient gasket having a tapered end face arranged to seal, in fluid-tight relation, an end of a needle positioned therea'gainst.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim l wherein said discharge port `means includes a ported gasket and a hollow, retaining nut having an outwardly flaring face arranged to guidably center an end of a needle with respect to the gasket.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said discharge port means includes a hollow nut and a ported gasket positioned within said nut, said gasket and nut being cooperable to guidably center and position an end of a needle in fluid-tight relation with the gasket.

5. In an apparatus for cleaning open ended, hollow, tubular elements, including a plurality of sources of supply of cleaning fluid substantially at atmospheric pressure, the combination of: a plurality of pump means, each operably connected to a respective cleaning uid supply and arranged to be sequentially manually actuated; a conduit connected to each pump means for conducting pumped fluid therefrom; and means for discharging cleaning fluid from said conduits into a hollow tubular element to be cleaned, said discharge means including an outlet housing at one side of the pump means having a plurality of passageways, each connected to a conduit; and a single duct intersecting said passageways, said duct being in communication with a single discharge port means; said discharge means having means arranged to guide and position an end of a hollow tubular element into sealed relationship therewith; and check valve means at each intersection of the passageways with the duct.

6. An apparatus as dened in claim 5 wherein the discharge port means includes a resilient thimble-like ported flanged gasket and a hollow gasket-retaining nut cooperable therewith to seal the discharge port means and to position and to center an end of a needle in sealed fluid conducting relation to the ported gasket.

'7. In an apparatus for flushing a hypodermic needle with different cleaning fluids sequentially, the provision of: an outlet housing having a passageway for flow of said fluids and provided with a discharge port; an internally threaded portion on the housing extending beyond and encircling said discharge port; an externally threaded retainer cooperable with said internally threaded portion and having a bore; and a resilient thimble-like gasket received within said bore, and having a flange pressed against margins of the discharge port by said retainer to seal said discharge port, said gasket being axially ported in alignment with the discharge port and provided with a rearwardly and outwardly inclined face extending from said axial port; said retainer having an outwardly and forwardly flaring end for guiding the butt end of a hypodermic needle into the bore and into seating relation with the face of the gasket, the end of said gasket being wholly Within the bore of the retainer.

PHILIP M. CASADY. RICHARD R. CASADY.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Number Name Date Garver June 15, 1920 Flagge Apr. 1, 1930 Bertschinger Apr, 17, 1934 Papadopoulos Aug. 20, 1935 Moll Mar. 1, 1938 Kling Oct. 21, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Sweden June 29, 1901 Austria Feb. 10, 1905 France Apr. 26, 1923 

